A recent study revealed that regular physical workout positively affects the brain of the elderly. Though mental faculties tend to decline with the age, elderly people can slow this decline with the regular physical workout.

The research team led by Elizabeth Bullitt, M. D., Van L. Weatherspoon Distinguished Professor of neurosurgery, analyzed data collected from 7 men and 7 women, aged 60 to 80 years. The study subjects were equally divided into two groups, the high activity group and low activity group.

The study subjects in high activity group had been regularly indulging in an aerobic activity for a minimum of 180 minutes per week for the past 10 consecutive years.

People in low activity group had no history of regular exercise, and spent less than 90 minutes a week in any physical activity.

The research team used a used non-invasive magnetic resonance (MR) angiography to examine the number and shape of blood vessels in the brains of study subjects.

It was found that the brain's blood vessels naturally narrow and become more tortuous with advancing age, but the cerebrovascular patterns of physically active elderly appeared "younger" than those of relatively inactive elderly.

Hence, the research team stressed that elderly people should spend some time regularly in physical activity to keep their brain young.